Journal box lubricator



Filed July 10, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LEONARD R. KAsa/CK BYJM,%M

ATTORNEY 6 UnitedStates Patent JOURNAL BOX LUBRICATOR Leonard R. Kassick, Wayzata, Minn., assignor to Grip Nut Company, South Whitley, 1nd,, a corporation of Illinois 9 Application July '10, 1957, Serial No. 671,057

12 Claims. (Cl. 30888) This invention relates to lubricators and more particularly to lubricators of the type used in railroad car journal boxes. a The manner in which the outboard end of the wheel axles of railroad cars are journaled in a downwardly opening load supporting bearing mounted in the top of a journalbox is well known. Each bearing is lubricated by oil from an oil reservoir or well formed in the bottom of the journal box. The oil is applied to the surface of the axle journal when the axle rotates by means of a wiping action of a mass of Waste material or an absorbent pad forming a part of a lubricator assembly mounted in the bottom of the journal box. Such lubricators, in general, comprise mere pads or masses of absorbent waste material stuffed into the journal box and immersed in the oil under the axle ends or a frame memsupporting a packing of such waste material or an absorbent pad against the axle journal surface as shown Ice Patented Oct. 20, 1959 2 sity been made to occupy a large proportion of the space in the journal box because of their limited oiling ability occasioned by the tortuous capillary passages. As heat is generated by the engagement of the relatively rotating axle journal surface and the bearing provided in the journal box during operating service, as much as possible of this interior journal box space should be utilized as air space to more efliciently dissip'ate the heat asit'is generated. Thus it is desirable to have the lubricatortas' compact as possible. I I g It, accordingly, is the primary objectofthis invention to provide a journal box lubricator which will overcome all the disadvantages of the prior journal box lubricators and assure adequate journal lubrication so long as the capillary passages contain any oil.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a novel compact universally usable journal box Inbricator having improved lubricating efliciency and adapt ed to be readily mounted in, removed from and supported in journal boxes of varying design and occupying a mini mum of space therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel journal box lubricator comprising, a main body element or bottom plate, a wick supporting or holding plate resiliently supported thereon and spring support and retain:

- er means connected thereto selectively adapted to support for example by US. patents to Zweibel, No. 1,866,692

tion of a compacted glazed surface on the pad or massed 1 waste material and incident clogging of the tortuous capillary passages. To date, all previously devised and patented journal box lubricators have functioned in the manner indicated by the aforementioned patents and all have been found to have a relatively short useful life and to require frequent inspection and servicing to assure that a sufficient level of oil is always present in the journal box well because of the haphazard formation of the capillary passages necessitating a multitude of directional changes in the flow of oil from one strand to another of the lubricator in differently'designed journal boxes and maintain the lubricating wicks in constant contact with the underside of the axle journal surface.

A further objectof the invention resides in the provision of an improved journal lubricator having wick means comprising a multiplicity of individual, generally parallel strands of fibrous material bound in side-by-side longitudinal relation at their midportions to provide respective uninterrupted, longitudinally continuous capil lary paths extending from an oil reservoir to a surface to be lubricated. i

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a journal box lubricator composed of resilient main body and wick support plates fixedly-connected together at one end in superposed spaced relation and resiliently connected together at their opposite ends for collapsing movement adapting said lubricator for ready insertion and removal into operative position ina railway journal box. a T

Further novel features and objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed dethe packing in order to reach the surface of the journal to be lubricated. Further, the surfaces of the packing or absorbent padslin contact with the journal are not selfcleaning and become dirty and glazed through service, which further restricts capillary action therethrough.

It has also been found that certain makes of journal boxes have axially extending inwardly directed opposed ribs formed on the interiorside Walls in the general horizontal plane of the axle axis and that such ribs are usable signs have heretofore customarily been provided for the dilferent makes ofjournal boxes as will also be apparent from a consideration of the aforementioned Letters Patent. t

different mating lubricator and journal box interior de i 9 The prior art lubricators in common-use have of necesscription' when read [in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a con ventional railroadcar journal box illustrating the j'ournal box lubricator of this invention mounted therein;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 22ofFigure 1; I

Figure 3 isa fragmentary longitudinal sectional, view of a wick holding plate and wick strands therein illustrat ing another and preferred commercial embodiment of the invention; and j I Figure 4 is a transverse 'quarter section through a conventional internally ribbed railway journal box. Referringrnow more specifically to the drawings, there is illustrated in, Figures 1 and 2a shaft or axle 10 having an end flange 11 and'la journalfsurface 12 rotatable in a brass bearing 14 of 'aconventional railroad journal box bearing member 16' positioned by a wedge 18 mount? ed at the top of a;jo,urnal box indicated generally at 20. Upon comparison'withFigure 4 whichdllustrates a conventional railroad journal-box employing opposed: lubricator retainingIribs 22fforme don 'the' inner 'side walls of journal box 20 and usedto' positionjournal'box lubrilcatorsagainst; angularflmovement," it will be clear ribs 22 are not exnployedin'the embodiment of Figures l and 2. In both journal box structures, the bottom of journal box 20 forms an oil reservoir or well which is filled initially with a suitable lubricating oil 24 to a height just slightly below a plane tangentto the under surface 'ofaxle journal surface 12'. All of the foregoing structure is conventional and is. found in one or the other of the twostyles of standard railroad car' journal boxes in use at the present time.

The journal box lubricator of this invention is indicated generally at 26 and is shown mounted in the journal box 20 in Figures 1, 2 and 4. The lubricator 26 as manufactured comprises a longitudinal body element or bottom plate 28 of tempered spring steel having a main planar body section 29 and an upwardly curved end section which forms an abutment arm 30 at the outer end. The opposite or inner end of bottom plate 28 is bent upwardly at its tip to form a slide lip 32 for slidingly engaging the bottom of the journal box well during insertion and removal of the lubricator. Spaced above and substantially parallel to bottom plate 28 is a wick support or holding plate 34 of tempered spring steel having formed integral therewith a resilient mounting arm 36 which is fixedly secured to arm 30 by two axially spaced rows of rivets 38. As clearly seen from Figure 1, arm 36 comprises a tip curved to form a surface engagement with the adjacent portion of arm 30 of body element 28, a forwardly and downwardly inclined section 39 and an upwardly and forwardly generally 8 shaped connector section between arm 36 and the main section of plate 34. The outer end of lubricator 26 is provided with an L-shaped bracket which serves as a hand grip 40 to be grasped when inserting and removing the lubricator from the journal box 20. The inner end of wick holding plate 3.4. is bent downwardly at 42 and its free end, either through a separable depending inclined spring arm 46 riveted as at 44 to portion 42 and having a curved abutment end 48 or an integral similarly shaped terminal end slidably engage the upper surface of bottom plate 28. As shown in the assembled view of Figure 1, spring arm 46 is inclined inwardly to bottom plate 28 at an angle of about 55. This angle, of course, will vary as wick holding plate 34 moves bodily toward or away from bottom plate 28 under compressive forces tending to flex the curved portion of arm 36 adjacent its connection to arm 30 of body element 20. In its unstressed form, the angle of inclination of arm 46 is about 66 and arm 36 inclines upwardly from its connection with arm 20. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the main body of plate 34 travels in a plane substantially parallel to plate 28.

In the form of lubricator shown in Figure 1, wick holding plate '34 throughout its main body area is provided with an axially spaced series of through openings 49 of about 1% inch diameter to receive respective wick assemblies comprising cylindrical sleeves 50 each of which grippingly engages a bunched multiplicity of individual wick strands 52 of fibrous material in surrounding relation to their midportions leaving their opposed free ends widely spread out at opposite ends of each ring. These free ends are passed through openings 49 in assembly of the wick assemblies and the rings 50 are pressed into and soldered to plate 34 in any suitable and well known manner. It is to be understood, of course, that suitable sleeved openings may be formed integrally with the wick holding plate 34 as will be described hereinafter with relation to the embodiment of Figure 3. All of the wick strands are of substantially the same length and are bunched in longitudinal parallelism in the sleeves 50 so that each strand provides uninterrupted continuous capillary passages extending from end to end. It is preferred that approximately two thirds the length of each strand 52 is below plate 34 to assure a submersion of the lower end of each centered group of strands in the body of oil everrthough the-level of. the oil be no higher than the bottom plate 28. 'Ihe upper third of the strands will t e; o t gh aro gat i ries of re a v l ups n ing strand ends for engagement with journal surface 12 of the axle under influence of the spring pressure of arms 36 and 46 of plate 34. The ends of the strands 52 contacting journal 12 are, therefore, spread apart in use by rotation of the axle effecting a self-cleaning of the capillary passage ends as the axle rotates. The lower portions of strands 52 dip in the'oil 24 which is carried in a continuous, uninterrupted path by capillary action to the continually cleaned passage ends of the surface of journal 12. In the event the supply of oil in the reservoir should become exhausted during a normal length run, it has been found that suflicient oil is contained in the capillary passages of the wick strands 52 to keep the journal lubricated until the end of the run.

While various fibrous materials may be used to form the strands 52, wool is preferred because of its high capillary efficiency and excellent self-cleaning properties in the arrangement herein disclosed.

The lubricator 26 is completed by a pair of transversely extending, axial spaced support straps 54 and 56 mounted substantially at their respective centers on the undersurface of bottom plate 28 by rivets 58. The straps54 and 56 are made of tempered spring steel and are normally straight or flat when the lubricator 26 is not mounted in a journal box. When in mounted position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, straps 54 and 56 are flexed to substantially conform with and yieldingly abut against the inner side walls of journal box 20 to resiliently support the lubricator therein with bottom plate 28 spaced slightly above the bottom of the oil well of journal box 20. Thus, any water or dirt that may enter into journal box 20 gravitates to the well bottom where it will be less likely to be carried to the surface of journal surface 12 and bearing brass 14.

Because of side sway and rocking of the railroad car during travel, the outboardside of journal box 20 moves more. in up and down pivotal relation to outer end 11 of axle 10 and strap 56 than opposite strap 54. To compensate for this movement and the additional force exerted on the strap 56, an additional or supplementary spring strap 60 is preferably used in conjunction with strap 56 to provide an additional biasing force to assure uniform contact of wick strands 52 throughout the length of journal surface 12. Spring 60 may of course be eliminated by making strap 56 of greater strength in proportion to strap 54. I

Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a wick holding plate 62 is punched out to provide wick retaining openings 49a defined by integral annular gripping flanges or sleeves 64 formed by suitable punch dies from the material of plate 62. Wick strands 66 are bunched in the openings and firmly held in position by the sleeves 66 in the same manner heretofore described in connection with sleeves 50.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, bottom plate 28 and wick holding plate 34 are 21-gage tempered spring steel, spring straps 54 and 56 are 24-gage tempered spring steel, and the spring arm 46 and inner spring 60 are 28-gage tempered spring steel. The thickness of the spring steels used may, of course, be varied as required in accordance with the elasticity of the steel and the service conditions to which the lubricator will be subjected.

To insert the lubricator 26 in journal box 20, the lubricator is inserted through inspection and servicing opening 67 of journal box 20 in a downward and inward direction to engage curved portion 42 of plate 34 under outer flange 11 of axle 10. To accomplish this strap 54 is flexed to pass it through opening 67 and a downward force is applied to the opposite end of the lubricator thereby sliding lip 32 along the bottom of journal box and curved portion 42 of plate 34 across the edge of flange 11 effectively compressing plate 34 toward bottom plate 23. This downward force is continued until strap 56 reaches opening 67 at which time the strap 56 is flexed t en e t to Ope 67 and e w ward force is continued until the lubricator reaches its normal assembled position as seen in Figure 1. The upwardly turned lip 32 sliding along the bottom of journal box 20 assures that the entering end of bottom plate 28 will not catch on any rough spots or projections as the lubricator is being inserted. When the lubricator is in position, spring arms 36 and 46 act to return plate 34 toward its normal uncompressed position and resiliently maintain the wick holding plate 34 with the upper ends of strands 52 firmly engaging the journalsurface 12. Cover 68 is, of course, opened to permit insertion of lubricator 26 and is closed after insertion and oiling is accomplished. The spring straps 54 and 56, due to their resilience and yielding engagement with the inner journal box walls, hold lubricator 26 in position in any standard journal box during operation. These yielding retainer straps are adequate to resist turning movement of the lubricator under influence of the drag forces imposed due to axle rotation and are adequate even under severe impact without the use of cooperating retaining ribs 22 which are found inmany conventional journal boxes or other securing means. I

In event a ribbed journal box as illustrated in Figure 4 is to befitted with alubricator of this invention, the tips of strap 56 are cut off on a line with the ends of auxiliary strap 60 and assembly is eifected in the manner heretofore described to position the lubricator with the ends of straps 54, 56" and 60 engaged under ribs 22. It will be clear, therefore, that the lubricator of this invention may be' produced in the single embodiment illustrated. i r

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteris tics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is: 1

1; A journal box'lubricator comprising a narrow elongated bottom plate having an upwardly curved section terminating ina free end and forming a handling arm; a spring metal wick holding plate having one end secured to said free armend to dispose said wick holding plate in overlying spaced substantially par'allel relation to said bottom plate; spring means at the other end of said wick holding plate extending between said wick holding plate and said bottom'plate and resiliently spacing said other end of said wick holding plate from said bottom plate; a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings through said. wick holding plate dimensioned to grippingly re ceive and retain the midportions of respective bundles of wick elements; lubricatingwick bundles composed of a multiplicity ofw'ool strands gripped between their ends in each of said openings with their opposite ends extending away from the opposite faces of said wick holding plate; and a plurality of narrow transversely extending spring support straps. fixedlyconnected to said bottom plate in laterally extending relation thereto at longitudinally spaced intervals with their opposite end portions flexed into surface engagement with the inner side wallsof said journal 'box to support the lubricator therein against lateral bodily movement and respective shifting of its opposite ends in use.

P-'-'"2. The lubricator of claim 1 in which the'spring means spacing the wick holdingplate from the bottom plate comprises a downwardly extending inwardly inclined resilient arm rigidly fastened to said wi'ck holding plate and having a' curved section adjacent its free end'disposed in 'slidingengagement with said bottom plate. J The lubricatorof claim 1 in which the inner'end of said bottom "plate has an upwardlyturned guide lip.

5 4. In combination with a journal box having a bottom wall defining an internal oil well, side walls and a top wall and containing bearing means journalling a rotatable axle shaft therein: a lubricator comprising a narrow longitudinally elongated bottom plate having a body portion disposed in said oil well and terminating at its opposite ends in an outer upwardly curved end and an inner end having an upwardly inclined lip; a spring metal longitudinally elongated wick holding plate connected at one end to said outer upwardly curved end of said bottom plate to resiliently support said wick holding plate in spaced overlying substantially parallel relation to said body portion of said bottom plate; a downwardly and inwardly inclined springarm rigidly connected to the other end of said wick holding plate and slidingly engaging saidbody portion of said bottom plate inwardly from its inner end to yieldingly support said wick holding plate in spaced relation to said bottom plate; a plurality of through openings spaced longitudinally of said wick holding plate and dimensioned to receive and grippingly retain the midportions of respective bundles of wick elements; lubricating wick bundles composed of a multiplicity of wool strands gripped between their respective ends in each of said openings with their opposite ends extending away from the opposite faces of said wick holding plate; and transversely related spring metal strap means rigidly fastened to said bottom plate and resiliently mounting said lubricator in said journal box and retaining it against lateral bodily movement and end-forend twisting under influence of the drag forces en-' countered in use.

' 5. A journal lubricator for the journalled axle ends of oil well forming railway journal box assemblies comprising an elongated'main-b'ody element of a width substantially less than said journal box oil Well and providing a narrowiplanar body section coextensive in length with the axial dimension of the bottom wall of the journal box oili well and an upwardly curved end section dimensioned and curved to conform generally to the curved bottom entrance wall of the journal box and having an inturned, grasping flange at its free end; a pair of laterally extending spring metal support and'retainer strips respectively rigidly attached to said planar body section at the juncture of said body section and said end section and at a"pointspaced inwardly from the other end of said body section with their free ends extending in opposite directions from saidbody section side edges to serve as positioningsupports to retain saidtplanar body section spaced above said bottom wall of said journal box oil well; a spring metal wick support member one end of which is rigidly connected to the inner face of said end section of said body element and the main body of which overlies and extends in axial parallelism to said body section and'is apertured at closely spaced axial points to grippingly receive wick strand bundles; a depending spring" metal support leg at the other end of said wick support member having abutting sliding contact with the upper face of the end of said planar body section opposite said curved end section, said leg in cooperation with the connected end of said wick support member yieldingly supporting said wick support member in normal expanded relation with respect to said main body element thereby assuring bodily follower movement of said wick support member'as the axle ends disposed in said journal .boxes tilt with respect tosaid journal box in use and coli wick support'member apertures to 'provide respective bundles of tightly gripped individually operating capillary wick-elements having upwardly extending journal contact 4? ends and depending oil immersed ends extending downwardly to the body element.

6. The lubricator of claim 5 wherein said wick means comprises integral, annularly continuous depending annular flanges on said wick support member disposed in surrounding relation to said apertures with their inner walls forming wick confining walls for tightly gripping batches of said wick strands and a multiplicity of thick wool strands grippingly engaged between their ends by said inner flange walls to form respective bundles of wicking.

7. The lubricator of claim 5 wherein said wick means comprise separable assemblies composed of cylindrical sleeve members the inner walls of which form Wick confining walls for tightly gripping batches of said wick strands and a multiplicity of thick wool strands grippingly engaged between their ends by said inner sleeve walls to form respective bundles of wicking, said sleeves being dimensioned to snugly fit in said support member apertures and having their outer walls welded to said support member.

8. The lubricator of'claim 5 wherein at least one of said laterally extending spring metal support strips is of such length that its opposed ends when bent and inserted in a conventional plain walled railway journal box will extend upwardly in contact with the journal box side wall to a point just short of the top 'wall of the journal box thereby obviating annulartshifting of said lubricator under influence of the drag forces due to the contact between the wick means and the rotating axle end.

9. The lubricator of claim 5 wherein both of said laterally extending spring metal support strips are of such length that their respective opposed ends when bent and inserted in a ribbed wall railway journal box will extend upwardly in contact with the journal box side Walls to a point just short of the related wall ribs thereby obviating annular shifting of said lubricator under influence of the drag forces due to the contact between the wick means and the rotating axle end.

10. A lubricator for use in lubricating the journal portion of a railway axle end journaled 'in a railroad journal box providing an oil well spaced below the journal portion of said axle and having upwardly curving side and outer wall portions comprising a main support plate of elongated form having an upwardly curved end for abuttingly engaging said outer wall portion along a line spaced above said well bottom; transversely related spring metal strap means secured midway .of itslength to said main support plate in longitudinally spaced relation to said upwardly curved end and adapted when flexed upwardly to bear on said oil well side walls and cooperate with said upwardly curved end to support said main support plate in spaced relation to the bottom of said oil well; an elongated spring metal wick holding plate having a downwardly inclined end portion secured to said upwardly curved end of said main support plate to mount said wick holding plate in spaced parallel relation to said main support plate and also having a plurality of longitudinally spaced through openings therein; a spring arm carried by the other end of said wick holding plate and extending downwardly and inwardly into abutting sliding engagement with said main support plate adjacent the end remote from said upwardly curved end, said spring arm and said downwardly inclined end portion of said wick holding plate cooperating to yieldingly support said wick holding plate for relative uniform bodily movement toward and away from said main'support plate; and wick means comprising a multiplicity of elongated wool strands providing respective longitudinally extending capillary passages bunched together in side-\by-side relation and grippingly secured'between theirtends in said through openings of said wick holding plate to provide'depending oil immersed ends and upstanding oil supply ends disposed to engage and apply oil to the journal portion of said axle when mounted in said journal box in a body of oil in said oil well.

11. A lubricator forum in lubricating the journal portion of a railway axle and journaled in a railroad journal box providing an oil well spaced below the journal portion of said axle and having upwardly curving side and outer wall portions comprisinga main support plate of elongated form having an upwardly curved end for abuttingly engaging said outer wall portion along a line spaced above said well bottom; transversely related spring metal strap means secured midway of its length to said main support plate in longitudinally spaced relation to said upwardly curved end and adapted when flexed upwardly to bear on said oil well side walls and cooperate with said upwardly curved end to support said main support plate in spaced relation to the bottom of said oil well; an elongated spring metal wick holding plate having a downwardly inclined end portion secured to said upwardly curved end of said main support plate to mount said wick holding plate in spaced parallel relation to said main support plate and also having a plurality of longitudinally spaced through openings therein; a spring arm carried bythe other end of said wick holding plate and extending into abutting sliding engagement with said main support plate adjacent the end remote from said upwardly curved end, said spring arm and said downwardly inclined end portion of said wick holding plate cooperating to yieldingly support said wick holding plate for relative bodily movement toward and away from said main support plate; and wick means comprising a plurality of separate wick assemblies each comprising a sleeve member adapted to be welded into position in one of said through openings of said wick holding plate and a multiplicity of elongated wool strands gripped between their ends in said sleeve member and providing respective longitudinally extending capillary passages bunched together in side-by-side relation and bound together between their ends in said through openings of said wick holding plate to provide depending oil immersed ends and upstanding oil supply ends disposed to engage and apply oil to the journal portion of said axle when mounted in said journal box in a body of oil in said oil well.

12.A lubricator for use in lubricating the journal portion of a railway axle end journaled in a railroad journal box providing an oil well'spaced below the journal portion of said axle and having upwardly curving side and outer wall portions comprising a main support plate of elongated form having an upwardly curved end for abuttingly engaging said outer wall portion along a line spaced above said well bottom; transversely related spring metal strap means secured midway of its length to said main support plate in longitudinally spaced relation to said upwardly curved end and adapted when flexed upwardly to bear on said oil well side walls and cooperate with said upwardly curved end to support said main support plate in spaced relation tothe bottom of said oil well; an elongated spring metal wick holding plate having a downwardly inclined end portion secured to said upwardly curved end of said main support plate to mount said wick holding plate in spaced parallel relation to said main support plate and 'also'having a plurality of longitudinally spaced through openings therein, the opposed free ends of said'wick holding plate and said main support plate being respectively bent inwardly toward each other to provide respective outwardly facing camming entry ends adapting said lubricator to be inserted endwise into said journal box with said cammingentry ends respectively contacting said axle end and said oil well bottom in position to cam said plates toward each other and collapse said lubricator as it is inserted end,-

' wise into position in said journal box beneath saidlaxle and said downwardly inclined end portion of said wick holding plate cooperating to yieldingly support said wick holding plate for relative bodily movement toward and away from said main support plate; and wick means comprising a multiplicity of elongated wool strands providing respective longitudinally extending capillary passages bunched together in side-by-side relation and bound together between their ends in said through openings of said wick holding plate to provide depending oil immersed ends and upstanding oil supply ends disposed to engage and apply oil to the journal portion of said axle when mounted in said journal box in a body of oil in said oil well.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

